If Your Body's Strong, You Don't Need Your Brain
“Maximus. We're finally home~”
As I opened the front door, Maximus shot out like a bullet. He buried his nose in the living room floor, sniffing away, then hopped right up onto the sofa. Seeing him like that melted away all my tension in an instant.
It had been nearly five days since I last came home. Two nights and three days on the uninhabited island, then over to Mokpo Grandpa's place. A journey that was long if you called it long, short if you called it short—but it sure felt like I'd been wandering outside for a whole month.
“Ugh... my poor body.”
I flopped onto the sofa. With the tension gone, fatigue came crashing in like waves. But I still had things to do. I needed to check in with the people who were probably worried—let them know I was alive.
First up, President Kim Manho.
Reply came in under a minute. Sharp as ever.
Next, Actor O Seokgyun and Ha Bong-seok PD. I called those two. Had to apologize for bailing on dinner so abruptly. Luckily, they both said it was fine—we could catch up next time.
And then, Sora. We'd talked a ton, but years of chats couldn't wrap up overnight. Her aunt's place was nearby, so if I'd wanted to, we could've met right away... Regret washed over me again.
'But we promised to meet again.' She said she'd hit me up when she got back up here. Now it was my turn to wait.
Anyway, sounds like Sora was crashing one more night at the editors' and Grandpa's place. Come to think of it, O Seokgyun mentioned he'd pick her up... Eh, whatever, they'll handle it.
“It's really over...”
Meaning the trip, of course. The house was dead silent. The only sound was Maximus messing around with his toys. I couldn't fight the wave of travel fatigue anymore and headed for bed.
“...Just a quick nap.”
I collapsed onto the bed. The fluffy comforter felt heavenly. My eyelids started drooping slow. Even as my mind faded, the sound of waves from the uninhabited island seemed to echo in my ears.
Ugh... what time is it?
Streetlight glow filtering through the window. Did I sleep too long...?
Half-asleep, I fumbled for my smartphone.
“...What the hell.”
I'd conked out in the early afternoon... that's over six hours? Guess tonight's sleep is covered.
But then my eyes caught the notifications on the screen.
“...?”
Who? Something urgent come up?
Checked the caller. All ten from Im Nana. Timestamps showed right after I dozed off, for about 30 minutes straight. She'd been calling relentlessly. What happened...?
Normally she'd just drop a KakaoTalk and call it a day, but blowing up my phone like this meant...
I hit call back quick. Long ringtone. Just when I thought no answer—click, connected.
“Hello? Nana! What's up? Why all the calls...”
[...Ah.]
Her voice from the receiver. No trace of her usual high energy—just deflated, like a punctured balloon.
[...Nah. It's nothing, Areum.]
“Huh? No, what's with your voice? You sick or something?”
[No... I'm fine. It's handled...]
“Handled what? What happened?”
[...Just... later...]
Click.
Call dropped.
“...”
What the—this nagging feeling? She said it's handled, but why'd her voice sound half-dead? Like she hadn't eaten in days.
Thought about calling back, but let it go. If it was real urgent, she'd ring again.
“Haa... starving.”
Woke up ravenous. Grabbed a cup ramen from the kitchen, set water boiling, plopped at the computer.
'Might as well check the channel.'
Logged into YouTube. My subscriber count still cruising steady. Comments wholesome, barely any hate. Peaceful vibes.
Slurping ramen, scrolling—then spotted the red light in the top-right notifications. Clicked absentmindedly.
And there it was. Impossible to ignore.
“...Pfft!”
Nearly spat out my ramen. Solo camping? Im Nana? Today?
'I did give her the solo camping mission... but this sudden?'
Couldn't sit this out. Jumped into the stream.
First thing on screen: a single bonfire blazing in pitch-black darkness. And one person squatting in front of it.
“...”
Why the hobo look? Where'd her usual vibrant glow go? Eyes hollow like days without food. Bundled in thick puffy jacket and scarf, but her nose tip frozen red. Looked like a shipwreck doc.
Im Nana mumbled weakly at the camera.
[Everyone... it's... so... so cold...]
Voice as droopy as the rest. But something was off. Scanned every corner—no tent.
'Tent?'
Camping. Solo camping. Where's the tent?
'Did she cheat and bail to glamping or a caravan?'
I'd specified 'pitch a tent and sleep in it.' If she snuck off to easy mode, no count—send her somewhere harsher next.
Then Im Nana lifted the camera.
[Want to see it again...? Sigh, such a hassle...]
She staggered to her feet, turned the camera around.
[Ta-da... my... house...]
The second I saw it on screen, I nearly dropped my chopsticks.
“...Huh?”
No tent. No caravan, no glamping tent.
Instead—a massive snow mound. More precisely, a dome-shaped structure piled from snow.
“...Quinzhee?”
A laugh burst out. That was definitely a quinzhee. The snow shelter we'd tried (and failed) to build together during that heavy Gangwon-do blizzard last time.
Why the hell was that there? And the quality was no joke. Narrow entrance to block wind, perfect hemispherical dome. Pro-level—even I'd buy it from an expert.
'What in the world?'
Why skip a perfectly good tent for this misery? Bushcraft awakening? Wild romance fantasy?
Then a Super Chat popped up.
...I wanted to ask the same. Why?*
Im Nana saw it and got teary, swung the camera back.
[...Why do I look like a hobo?]
Her eyes welled up.
[I... I didn't want to end up like this...]
She rummaged on the ground, picked something up, shoved it at the camera.
[This... this is why...]
The item on screen: tent pole. Snapped clean in half.
“Ah...”
A groan escaped. I could picture it. Cold weather. Struggling to fit the pole into the tent loops, gave it her super strength. Frozen-solid pole snaps without a scream.
'That's why the calls.'
Ten missed. Needed to pitch tent, pole broken, mentality shattered. Called her lifeline (me), but I was dead to the world in dreamland.
“...Sorry.”
If I'd just picked up...
'Wait a sec.'
Broken pole doesn't make a normal person build a quinzhee. They'd car-camp or bail. But she thought, 'pile snow into a house'? Solo?
That size needs snow-mountain labor. Two grown guys take hours. And she did it with her (supposedly) slender frame?
“...Whoa.”
Awe hit me. Im Nana sniffled on, explaining.
[Called you, Areum... no answer... sun set... so cold... just made it. Remembered what we did last time...]
She showed the inside. Foam mat, sleeping bag—cozy as hell.
[Warmer... than I thought.]
She crawled in. Chat exploding in shock.
I stared blankly. That snapped pole? Easy temp fix—tape over splint, or chopstick brace. Would've told her if I'd answered.
But Nana skipped smarts for brute force. Dumb, sure—but effective.
'Bad brain means hard body?' Nah.
'If your body's strong, you don't need your brain.' That's the truth.
Tricks irrelevant against her overwhelming physique. Plus, nailing a quinzhee after one demo? Proud. Admirable. Kinda scary too.
[Gonna... crash now. So tired...]
Yawned, announced end of stream. Eyes half-shut. Fair, after that ordeal.
'Bedtime for her.'
But...
“This has to happen now.”
Yup. Skip it, regret forever.
Grabbed phone, called Im Nana.
Ring-ring.
[...Hello?]
“Oh, hello? Nana?”
[Yeah, listening...]
“For a clean break like that pole, shove in wooden chopsticks and tape it up, or check the car trunk toolkit—cylindrical rod fits perfect. There, done.”
[You little...! Telling me now...!]
Click. Hung up.
Hm. Teabagging resistance: zero.